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in less than the twinkling of an eye.’ Quoth she, ‘I will sing thee an hundred songs, so thou wilt bring me news of my lord and that which hath befallen him after me.’ And the head answered, saying, ‘Do thou favour me and sing me a song, so I may go to thy lord and bring thee news of him, for that I desire, before I go, to hear thy voice, so haply my thirst[1] may be quenched.’ So she took the lute and tuning it, sang the following verses:
They have departed; but the steads yet full of them remain: Yea, they have left me, but my heart of them doth not complain.
My heart bereavement of my friends forebode; may God of them The dwellings not bereave, but send them timely home again!
Though they their journey’s goal, alas I have hidden, in their track Still will I follow on until the very planets wane.
Ye sleep; by Allah, sleep comes not to ease my weary lids; But from mine eyes, since ye have passed away, the blood doth rain.
The railers for your loss pretend that I should patient be: ‘Away!’ I answer them: ‘’tis I, not you, that feel the pain.’
What had it irked them, had they’d ta’en farewell of him they’ve left Lone, whilst estrangement’s fires within his entrails rage amain?
Great in delight, belovéd mine, your presence is with me; Yet greater still the miseries of parting and its bane.
Ye are the pleasaunce of my soul; or present though you be Or absent from me, still my heart and thought with you remain.
The head wept exceeding sore and said, ‘O my lady, indeed thou hast solaced my heart, and I have nought but
- ↑ i.e. yearning.
